Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-01

and self respect, he will hardly be kept
out Of it by prohibitory laws.
! The Prohibitionists further say that the
use of spirituoUs beverages frequently
leads to crime. II is tue that great
many murders are committed in this
country by intoxicated men. But is the
circumstance that they carry concessea
pistols in their nip pockets not as muclf
cause of their murderous deeds as their
| intOXicstion?
As to carrying concealed weapons, the
American people are perhaps the best
armed nation in the world In Europe the
] chief political CRY is disarmament of the
| several countries as 10 their standing
armies, and in the Uulted States the prineis
pal social demand should be individual dis
armament of those carrying concealed
weapons. Drunkenness can never, be
made lawful excuse for any crime or
misdemesnOr. On the contrary, the
drunksrd should always be as severely
punished for any wrong or violation of
law committed oy him while drunk SIS
if he had been perfectly sober.
The constitution of the United States,
in article VI. says: "This constitution,
and the laws of the United States which
shall be made in pursuance thereof, and
all treaties made, or which shall be made,
under the authority of the United States,
shall be the supreme law of the land, and
the judges in every state shall be bound
thereby, anything in the constitution or
laws of any state to the contrary notwith-
Standing"
From this clause it is to be seen that
the majority of the people Of state of
the Union cannot Justly deprive the mi
nority of the people of such state of their
natural rights, as 1t is being done by pro-
hititory laws. Such laws, therefore, are
null and void under our American con-
stitution.
1t is claimed that every state in the
Union has the power to adopt police reg
ulations, and that prohibition laws are
nothing but such regulations. Yet this
argument is doubtless wrong. In free
country police regulations, as far as they
are under consideration here, can be di-
rected only against nuissDces-things
that annoy and give trouble and vexation
either to prevent or abate them. Yet 1t
cannot be Justly said that man by de-
Gently and sensfbly drinking spirituous
beverages, for which he is able pay
and which physically benefits him, com
mits q nuisance, offending his neighbor,
who is probibitionist, using only non
spirituOus beVerAs eS.
The Prohibitionists want to promote
morality in this country by banishing
drunkenness, Which is both vice and
shame, from American soil; yet, proper
use Of Epirituous beverages and drunken
ness not being identical, such men can
legitimately accomplish their object only
by their own good examples and by moral
suasion, not by prohibition. a good
moral character, for being q strictly indi-
vidual affair, is product of volition ard
not of legal cOmpulsion. Every man,
therefore, in this county is entitled 70
attend to his own moral welfare himself,
and neither a PFOhibitionist nor a non
ProhibitiOnist has right to sit in judg-
ment upon his neighbours lawful mode of
living. This is one of the blessings of
American liberty.
One of the neblest virtues of man is
doubtless self-COntroI based upon self
respect. Self-respect, therefore, and
education, not pronibftory laws, ought to
diCtate every man IN this country his
course as to the use of spirituous bever
Sges. Total abstinence is, of course, q
good and praisewortby thing for man If
he feels unable to control himself as to
the use of such beverages, or if they do
not agree with him, or if he'1eannot al
ford to pay for them. The temperance
pledge, however, is humbug.
The cause of sobriety can be Justly pro,
NOTED, in the United States only by social
education. The practice prevailing in
this country of treating to spirituous
beverages is not In harmony with social
education.
A local option law of any state OF the
Union means nothing but indirect local
lied prohibition and is therefore wrong.
Very respectfully yours,
JOHN GEORGE HERTwIG.
Washington, d. c., March IA, 1887.